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Tag: insurance claim

After a claim occurs, one of the first questions we ask policyholders is, “Do you have a full copy of your insurance policy?”

The reason for this question is this is “the Bible,” letting us know as your potential representative, what coverages you have in your policy that will enable us to assist you with your claim.

There are clauses and information that mean something to AJR, with our 32 + year experience. Knowing where to look in the policy for additional coverages is the benefit of hiring an experienced public adjuster to represent you with your insurance claim.

This policy was probably given to you when you first signed up with the insurance company. Over the years, the insurance company may have only sent renewal letters and not the complete policy again.

A sample letter adapted from a United Policyholders template shows how to request your insurance carrier this policy that is needed to negotiate your claim for you.

Sample Letter Requesting Complete Copy of Homeowners Policy

NOTE: This letter is a sample that must be customized to fit the facts of your individual situation and claim. All bracketed and underlined portions must be completed or revised before sending. Use this letter to request a complete copy of your homeowners’ policy from your insurance company.

Name of Insured: _______________________ Address of Insured Property: _____________

Dear [INSURANCE COMPANY],

Please send me a complete and certified copy of my homeowner’s insurance policy, including all declarations, endorsements, riders, and any changes to the insurance policy that would affect coverage at the time of the above-noted loss. Please send it to the mailing address listed below within fifteen (15) calendar days of this letter’s date.

Thank you in advance for your prompt handling of my request. I look forward to receiving the above-requested documents and working with [INSURANCE COMPANY] to complete the claim process.

Insureds wonder if they can lower the percentage will they make out better. We wanted to demonstrate that this may not always be the case.

As they say, you get what you pay for.

See example of a typical claim below and notice the difference to the policyholder when paying a higher percentage fee:

Company A

Initial Claim Offering $50,000

Final Claim Result. $60,000

8% fee to Public Adjuster: $ 4,800

Claim Settlement to Insured: $55,200

AJR PUBLIC ADJUSTERS

Initial Claim Offering: $50,000

Final Claim: $75,000

15% Fee: $11,250

Claim Settlement to Insured: $63,750

Clearly you can see how AJR Public Adjusters assistance, perhaps at a higher fee still nets the insured a better settlement. This policyholder increased their settlement by $8,550 even when paying a higher percentage for our services.

By giving AJR the opportunity to utilize our 30+ years experience to manage and negotiate your claim, you can rest assured you will do better in the settlement process of your claim.

Please view our Better Business Bureau A+ rating here. This may provide helpful information for you to see how AJR should be your first call with your next property insurance claim.

Call AJR first, we even help report the claim and can take over the stress of managing your claim from there. We can be reached at 602-795-5227, email here.

AJR is humbled when our clients choose to share their experiences with others regarding the service and success they had while working with us.

Ken K says,“…Bruce provided us with the assurance that he had control of the situation and constantly kept us informed throughout the process.” ” In the end, knowing that Bruce and Stacy were working for us was a great comfort. Their experience and expertise were evident throughout and greatly appreciated. Bruce continually advised us as to what our policy covered, and I believe we received a very fair and prompt settlement with the insurance company.”

AJR takes our clients and responsibilities very seriously. We know when your property has suffered an insurance claim, you want to know that you will be made whole. (put back to how your property looked prior to the loss). Whether it be from fire, wind, hail, monsoon, AJR’s job is to handle your claim in the most professional manner while alleviating stress on your shoulders. We know you have things to take care of, let us use our 30+ years experience to settle the claim in a timely manner.

It is nice to be recognized again by YELP as the #1 Public Adjuster in Phoenix. To see more information about AJR and how our rankings are #1, look at our BBB A+ Reviews.

With your next insurance property loss give us a call FIRST. Consultation is FREE.

AJR appreciates clients who offer to share their experience with others. To be spoken about in reference to a comment from a CEO of a billion $ business is humbling. With AJR you do get qualified professionals who care about your claim like it is their own. Read Peter H BBB Comments

“With AJR and Stacy & Bruce you are getting the qualified professionals, but most importantly these are nice people who care about their clients.”

AJR is committed to providing representation which will provide peace of mind to the policyholder, knowing their claim is being handled in the most professional way possible. It is always your claim, you have the final say, but we do handle it like it is our own, ensuring maximum recovery, while reducing your stress.

Give us a call with your next claim and let us explain how we can help get the ball rolling and moving in the right direction towards a successful recovery.

When needing to refill a pool after an in ground pool suffers damage to the cover, you may wonder if the water needed to refill the pool after repairs is covered.

Look here at Water as an Insured Object to see an article from National Underwriters which states that the pool water removal from the pool for the repair is covered as that is part of the repair. To refill the pool once repairs are completed is NOT covered since that is providing coverage for water and this is not directly a part of the repair. The water itself is excluded.

We have recycled an old article. Knowing this is an important time of year here in Arizona for the potential of Monsoon, or Wildfire claim, we decided to republish a previous article highlighting the reasons to contact AJR if you discover damage to your property.

Will you be able to rebuild if your home or business is damaged or destroyed by a fire? How long will it take you to bounce back if you are wiped out by a flood or hammered by a monsoon? Will you recover quickly from the losses you suffer from vandalism or theft?

You might be unpleasantly surprised more than once if tragedy strikes where you live or work – first by the brutal force of Mother Nature and later by the realization that you are unprepared to do anything but accept whatever compensation your insurance company offers. You can avoid this problem by hiring a public insurance adjuster, a person with the knowledge and experience to help you obtain the most favorable settlement possible – someone who represents you and not your insurance company.

“We serve as an advocate for the policyholder, but it’s important to remember that the policyholder controls the settlement. We advise and assist.” said Bruce Horowitz, president of AJR Public Adjusters, who has been serving homeowners and businesses for over 30 years, the last 5 summers being here in Arizona.

In addition to estimating how much damage has been done, AJR also helps file the paperwork to complete the claim and negotiate with the insurance company. There is no up front retainer type cost like an attorney, for their services, AJR charges its clients a percentage of the settlement.

Horowitz can offer his clients the advantages of a wealth of training and more than 30 years as a public insurance adjuster. He and his wife Stacy, who serves as vice president of AJR, moved their family to Phoenix following Bruce’s lengthy career, first with one of the largest and oldest public insurance adjusting firms in the Philarizdelphia area, then in Charleston, South Carolina.

Stacy, who handles the marketing and accounting for AJR, has another important job that is critical for the property owner – determining exactly what was lost or damaged.

“We take hundreds or sometimes even thousands of pictures,” she explained. “We document everything, then we send it to the client for approval.”

Bruce Horowitz cautioned homeowners and businesspeople to hire only public insurance adjusters who are licensed in the states where they do business. Also to be wary of people claiming to be in a position to negotiate with the insurance company. Only a licensed Public Insurance Adjuster has this authority, not your contractor, mitigation specialist, handyman, etc.

AJR is unique as they are one of a few companies who are a member of the National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (NAPIA) with an office in Arizona. NAPIA is a 60 year old organization that sets the standards for the industry and offers its members educational opportunities and certification in various aspects of the business.

To find out more about how AJR Public Adjusters, Inc. can help you recover from a natural disaster or other property loss by helping you obtain an equitable settlement from your insurance company, call (602) 795-5227, email info@betterclaimresults.com, or visit www.betterclaimresults.com